Lap desk

ABSTRACT

The present invention provides a portable lap desk for writing or drawing upon that is especially suited for young children. The lap desk includes a generally planar desk element that provides a first surface and an opposing second surface. Releasably attached to the second surface is a stuffed toy cushion designed to imitate a real or fanciful animal or figure. To create the appearance of a real or fanciful animal or figure, the stuffed toy cushion may include a body portion and one or more appendages. When the lap desk is not being used to write or draw upon, the stuffed toy cushion can be detached from the desk element for a child to play with. In one embodiment, to provide storage for drawing utensils used in conjunction with the desk, the stuffed toy cushion can be formed with an inner cavity that is accessible through an opening.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to portable desk surfaces andmore particularly to a combination lap desk and stuffed toy cushion. Thepresent invention is intended to have particular appeal among children.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Lap desks are generally planar, rigid structures configured forplacement upon a user's lap. The lap desk thereby provides a flatsurface upon which writing, drawing, reading or other activities cantake place. Portable lap desks are especially popular so that the userscan effectively carry a portable work surface with them. In someinstances, to increase the comfort of the rigid lap desk and to adjustthe height of the surface, lap desks can be provided with a cushion thatis placed between the surface and the user's lap.

Lap desks are also especially popular items among children. To children,lap desks provide a surface upon which the child can occupy his or hertime by drawing, reading, or otherwise playing. It is desirable that lapdesks directed toward children be made of lightweight material forsafety and portability reasons. It is also desirable that the lap deskprovide an overall appearance that appeals to the child.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a lap desk having a desk element and astuffed toy cushion. The desk element is a generally planar structurehaving a first surface and an opposed second surface. The plush toycushion is formed to imitate a real or imaginary animal so as to appealto a child. The cushion preferably has a soft, supple outer cover orskin that contains a stuffing material that allows the cushion to becompressible. So that the child can play with the plush toy cushion whennot using the lap desk, the plush toy cushion is preferably releasablyattached to the desk element. When attached, the plush toy cushionshould lie adjacent the opposing second surface of the desk whileresting upon the child's lap.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the lap desk of the present invention witha stuffed toy cushion attached to a desk element.

FIG. 2 is a bottom plan view of the lap desk with the stuffed toycushion attached to the desk element.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the desk element.

FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of the desk element.

FIG. 5 is an exploded view of the lap desk showing the desk element andthe stuffed toy cushion, wherein the stuffed toy cushion includes acavity accessible through an opening.

FIG. 6 is an exploded view of another embodiment of the lap desk whereinthe stuffed toy cushion is attached to the desk element by snapfasteners.

FIG. 7 is an exploded view of another embodiment of the lap desk whereinthe stuffed toy cushion is attached to the desk element by hook-and-loopfasteners.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a desk element forthe inventive lap desk including a game board, beverage holder, andspring clip.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a desk element forthe inventive lap desk including wheels, a handle, and a radio-cassetteplayer.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the stuffed toycushion formed to imitate a ladybug.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the stuffed toycushion formed to imitate a flower.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

Now referring to the drawings, wherein like reference numbers refer tolike elements, there is illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2, and 5 a lap desk 100designed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention. Thelap desk 100 includes a desk element 106 and a stuffed toy cushion 102that is releasably attachable to the desk element. The lap desk 100thereby provides a flat first surface 160 for the child to draw orotherwise play on and a cushion 102 located underneath the first surface160 for comfortably setting the lap desk in the child's lap. To providethe child with a separable toy and to make the lap desk 100 overall moreappealing to children, the stuffed toy cushion 102 is formed to imitateor otherwise appear as a real or fanciful creature.

Specifically, in the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2, and 5, thestuffed toy cushion 102 is designed to imitate a turtle. However, itwill be appreciated that the turtle is only exemplary and the stuffedtoy cushion 102 can be made to imitate or appear as any possible real orfanciful animal or figure. To provide the appearance of a turtle, thestuffed toy cushion 102 can have a body portion 120 from which extendsone or more appendages 130, 131, 132. The body portion 120 forms in parta generally planar surface 121 that is generally shaped as a rectangleand is intended to be placed adjacent to the desk element 160. Asillustrated in FIG. 2, the rectangular shape of the body portion 120provides for a first and a second end 122, 124 and a first and a secondside 126, 128.

As illustrated in FIG. 5, to provide the desired cushioning effect, thebody portion 120 including the planar surface 121 is preferably formedhaving an outer cover or skin 136 that contains a stuffing material 134.The stuffing material is preferably a resilient stuffing material, suchas cotton, wool, polyester filling material, compressible foam blocks orfoam beads. The stuffing material could also be nonresilient materials,such as plastic beads or buckwheat hulls, which can easily shift aroundwithin the outer cover. The stuffing material 134 improves the comfortof setting the lap desk in the child's lap and assists in maintainingthe desk at a relatively orthogonal relationship to the child.

As will be appreciated from FIG. 5, the distance from which the bodyportion projects from the flat surface 121 determines where the lap desk100 will be situated with respect to the abdomen of the user. Thisdistance is determined in part by the amount of stuffing material 134that is contained within the outer cover 136 and the dimension of theouter cover itself. Controlling these two variables allows themanufacturer to adjust the location of the lap desk with respect to theuser.

The outer cover 136 of the stuffed toy cushion 120 can be any of anumber of materials, for example, leather, canvas, denim, nylon, orpreferably a plush fleece material. Preferably, the outer cover 136furthers the appearance of the creature intimated by the stuffed toycushion 120. For instance, in the illustrated embodiment, the coloringscheme of the outer cover 136 should correspond to that of a turtle.Where appropriate, in other embodiments, the outer cover material 136can be made to imitate the fur or hair of an animal. The texture of theouter cover 136 and the presence of the stuffing material 134 optimizesthe appeal of the stuffed toy cushion 120 to a child.

The one or more appendages 130, 131, 132 also preferably furthers theappearance of the imitated creature or figure. For example, asillustrated in FIGS. 1 and 5, one of the appendages can be a headappendage 130 that is formed to appear as a face with the appropriatefeatures, including eyes 148 and a mouth 146. Extending from the end ofthe body portion opposite the head appendage 130 is a tail appendage131. The other appendages 132 can be formed to appear as flippers or,where appropriate in other embodiments, feet or legs. To further theconcept of the stuffed toy cushion 120, all appendages 130, 131, 132 maybe formed to be soft and compliant. The appendages 130, 131, 132 can besewn onto the body portion or, in other embodiments, releasably attachedto provide a re-configurable stuffed toy. The appendages may includewires or support membranes which allow the appendage to bend and retainits shape.

Referring to the desk element 106 illustrated in FIGS. 3, 4, and 5, thedesk element is a generally planar structure that provides the firstsurface 160 and an opposing second surface 162. When the stuffed toycushion 102 is attached, as illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2, and 5, the planarsurface 121 lies adjacent the second surface 162 such that the firstsurface 160 is exposed for access by the child. As illustrated in FIGS.3 and 4, the desk element 106 has a generally rectangular peripheryformed by a first and second end 164, 166 and first and second sides168, 170. The rectangular shape of the desk element preferablycorresponds to the rectangular shaped planar surface 121 of the bodyportion 120 of the stuffed toy cushion 102. Moreover, as illustrated,the first and second ends 164, 166 can be slightly indented to furtherthe appearance of a turtle's shell. In other embodiments, the shape ofthe desk element preferably corresponds to the pillow shape and may beoval, circular, square or any other shape.

The corners of the desk element 106 are preferably rounded. To preventmaterials from sliding or rolling off the first surface 160, a raisedlip 172 can project upwards from the first surface 160 extending alongthe periphery. The desk element 106 can be made from lightweight plasticand formed by any suitable molding method. By using lightweight plasticfor the desk element and stuffing material in the stuffed toy cushion,the lap desk is sufficiently light to be carried around by a child.Examples of plastic materials include polypropylene, styrene, ABS(acrylonitrile butadiene styrene), acrylic or polyethylene, The deskelement may also be made of wood, metal, rubber, cardboard, chalkboard,whiteboard, or other materials.

To releasably attach the stuffed toy cushion to the desk element so thatthe stuffed toy cushion can be readily removed and separately used bythe child as a plaything, referring to FIG. 5, the stuffed toy cushionincludes a plurality of loops 138 made from stretchable cord. The cordloops 138 are placed along the periphery of the body portion 120corresponding to the ends and sides of the rectangular planar surface121. In the illustrated embodiment, the locations of the cord loopscorrespond to the locations of the appendages 130, 131, 132. Referringto FIGS. 2, 3, and 5, a plurality of catches 174 are formed into thedesk element 106 at locations around the periphery and corresponding tothe cord loops. The catches 174 can be formed by disposing U-shapedgrooves into the raised lip 172 through the plane of material making upthe desk element. Referring to FIG. 1, attaching the stuffed toy cushion120 is achieved by pulling the cord loops 138 over and allowing theloops to retract around the catches 174. To release the stuffed toycushion 120, the cord loops 138 are simply slipped off the catches 174.

In a preferred embodiment, referring to FIG. 5, to provide storage forwriting utensils and other toys, the stuffed toy cushion 102 can includean internal cavity 140. The cavity 140 can be accessed through anopening 142 disposed through the skin of the stuffed toy cushion.Preferably, the cavity 140 is separated from the stuffing material by aliner. To prevent objects stored in the cavity 140 from falling out, inthe illustrated embodiment the opening 142 can be closed by a zipper144. However, in other embodiments, closing the opening can be achievedby alternative methods such as by use of hook-and-loop type fasteners.So that the cavity can be accessed when the stuffed toy cushion isattached to the desk element, the opening preferably extends along thefirst or second side of the body portion.

Illustrated in FIG. 6 is another embodiment of the inventive lap desk200 in which releasably attaching the stuffed toy cushion 202 to thedesk element 206 is achieved by snap fasteners. Specifically, thestuffed toy cushion 202 includes a plurality of flexible tags 240extending from the periphery of the body portion 220. The tags 240 canbe made of cloth or plastic and can be attached at their proximal ends242 to the body portion 220 by sewing. Located near the distal end 244of each tag 240 is a snap fastener female element 246. Again, in theillustrated embodiment, the locations of the tags 240 correspond to thelocations of the head appendage 230, tail appendage 231, and flipperappendages 232 of the stuffed toy cushion 202.

A plurality of snap fastener male elements 274 are located on a raisedlip 172 that corresponds to the periphery of the desk element 260. Asillustrated, the snap fastener male elements 274 project upwards fromthe first surface 260 of the desk element 206. The locations of the snapfastener male elements 274 corresponds to the locations of the tags 240on the stuffed toy cushion 202. It will be appreciated that when thestuffed toy cushion 202 is attached to the desk element 206, the tags240 extend over the raised lip 272 so that the snap fastener femaleelements 246 can mate with the snap fastener male elements 274. Torelease the stuffed toy cushion 202 from the desk element 206, thedistal ends 244 of the tags 240 can be simply lifted to disengage thesnap fastener male and female elements 274, 246. Of course, it will beappreciated that the placement of the snap fastener female elements 246and the snap fastener male elements 274 can be readily reversed.

Illustrated in FIG. 7 is another embodiment of the inventive lap desk300 in which releasably attaching the stuffed toy cushion 302 to thedesk element 306 is accomplished by hook-and-loop type fasteners such asthe Velcro™ fastener. Specifically, the stuffed toy cushion 302 includesa plurality of flexible tags 340 extending from the periphery of thebody portion 320. Attached at the distal end 344 of each tag 340 is astrip of loop material 346 of the hook-and-loop type fastener. Asillustrated, the locations of the tags 340 correspond to the locationsof the head, tail, and flipper appendages 330, 331, 332.

Located on a raised lip 372 that corresponds to the periphery of thedesk element are a plurality of strips of hook material 374 of thehook-and-loop type fastener. The locations of the hook material strips374 corresponds to the locations of the tags 340. As will beappreciated, when the stuffed toy cushion 302 is attached to the deskelement 306, the tags 340 extend over the raised lip 372 so that theloop material strips 346 can engage the hook material strips 374. Torelease the stuffed toy cushion 302 from the desk element 306, thedistal ends 344 of the tags 340 can be simply lifted to disengage thehook-and-loop material strips 346, 374. Of course, it will beappreciated that the placement of the loop material strips 346 and thehook material strips 374 can be readily reversed.

Illustrated in FIG. 8 is another embodiment of the desk element 400.Again, the desk element 400 is a generally planar structure having afirst surface 402 and an opposing second surface 404. Also, projectingupwards from the first surface and extending about the periphery of thedesk element is a raised lip 410. To releasably attach a stuffed toycushion, the raised lip 410 includes a plurality of catches 411 formedinto it that function as described above. In the illustrated embodiment,to divide the first surface 402 into a plurality of separate portions414 that comprise an organizer, one or more raised ridges 412 may alsoproject upwards from the first surface. The ridges 412 can intersectwith and are formed similarly to the raised lip 410. In anotherembodiment, to further organize the design of the desk element, the deskelement can include sliding drawers. Referring to FIG. 8, the deskelement 400 can also include a recess 416 disposed into the firstsurface 402 for retaining a beverage container. In other embodiments,the recess 416 can have an elongated shape to function as a pencil tray.Moreover, for retaining items such as a pad of drawing paper to the deskelement 400, a spring-action clip 418 can be attached to the firstsurface 402.

The planar desk can have several modifications to further the activityexperience for the child. For example, to further occupy the child, thefirst surface 402 can include indicia thereon that provides a game board420 such as, for example a checker board. Accordingly, the lap desk canthen be used with game pieces 422 for playing games. To hold game pieces422 to the desk element when, for instance, the lap desk is intransport, the game pieces can be formed with magnets or otherwisemagnetized. To provide the magnetic attraction to the game board 420 theplastic used to produce the desk element 400 can have dispersed thereinmagnetic granules. In addition to the game pieces 422, other detachabletoys such as cars or a pinwheel and other detachable items such as keychains, sunglasses, and hats can be provided for playing with the deskelement. Moreover, items such as the recess 416, raised ridges 412, andclip 418 can also be detachably attached to the desk element 400 so thatusers can configure the organization and layout of the lap desk to theirown liking. In other embodiments, rather than a game board, the firstsurface of the desk element can be provided with an integral chalkboardor integral dry erase board for drawing upon.

In other embodiments, to increase the visual appearance of the lap deskto children, the first surface of the desk element can be formed toinclude a colorgel or a colorchange pigmentation, as will be familiar tothose of skill in the art of children's toys. Alternatively, the firstsurface can be formed with a plurality of raised bumps to interlock withthe well-known LEGO™ brand building blocks. In another embodiment, thefirst surface can be configured with a display monitor to project videoimages such as those for a computer game or art program. In otherembodiments, two or more desk elements can be made to interlock witheach other to expand the available first surface area. In anotherembodiment, the desk element can include folding legs that can be foldedto extend downward from the second surface to make a breakfast tray.

Illustrated in FIG. 9 is another embodiment of a desk element 500 forattachment to a stuffed toy cushion in accordance with the teachings ofthe present invention. To further entertain the child, the desk element500 has exposed on its first surface 502 an audio or video device 510,such as a radio, a cassette player, a compact disc player and/or a DVDplayer. To operate the audio/video device 510, a plurality of knobs andbuttons 512 protrude upwards from the first surface 502 and which can beactuated with respect to the desk element. To power the audio/videodevice 510, as will be appreciated by those of skill in the art, thedesk element can be configured to incorporate one or more batterieswithin an appropriate circuit. In other embodiments, to configure thedesk element to make noise, the desk element can include a speakerconnected to a sound chip and the appropriate circuitry. Flashing lightsor LED's can also be attached to the desk element 400 to increase thevisual appearance.

To facilitate transporting of the lap desk 500, the lap desk can beconfigured with wheels 530 and a handle 532. The wheels are rotatablewith respect to the desk element. Preferably, the wheels and handle arearranged to enable the user to pull the lap desk behind her. Forinstance, as illustrated in FIG. 9, the wheels 530 can extend from theperiphery of the desk element. Moreover, additional wheels can beprovided so that the desk element can be rolled in a planar orientationparallel to a flat surface.

Referring to FIGS. 10 and 11, as mentioned above, the stuffed toycushion can be made to imitate or appear as any of numerous differentcreatures or figures such as a lady bug 600 or a flower 700. The ladybug 600 and flower 700 can releasably attach to the desk element by anyof the above mentioned methods, including a cord, loops, snaps, andhook-and-loop fasteners or any other method. Both the lady bug 600 andflower 700 have a soft, supple outer cover 602, 702 that contains astuffing material 604, 704 as described above. In other embodiments, thestuffed toy cushion can be made to imitate aliens, dinosaurs,sportsballs, or licensed characters. Other designs for the stuffed toycushion include decorative signs such as yin-yang sign or peace sign.Additionally, the stuffed toy cushions can be designed to engageattachable accessories such as glasses, purses, or earmuffs or to bepersonalized with birth certificates, passports, etc.

In an embodiment, the stuffed toy cushion can be made to engage anotherstuffed toy cushion such that the two appear to be embracing. Forinstance, the stuffed toy cushion can be provided in parent-and-childversions. In some embodiments, the stuffed toy cushion can include adrawing surface formed proximate to the planar described above. Thestuffed toy cushion can alternatively be made to function as a pillow.In the embodiments which include the inner cavity, the cavity canfunction as a canteen, lunch pouch, or cooler. Preferably, the functionof the cavity is correlated to the animal or figure imitated by thestuffed toy cushion such as, for example, correlating the canteen withthe camel and the cooler with a polar bear. In some embodiments, thestuffed toy cushion or desk can be provided with one or more straps toenable the child to carry the lap desk to be carried as a backpack orpurse. Additionally, the straps can be used to hang the lap desk from ahook or door when not in use.

All references, including publications, patent applications, andpatents, cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference to the sameextent as if each reference were individually and specifically indicatedto be incorporated by reference and were set forth in its entiretyherein.

The use of the terms “a” and “an” and “the” and similar referents in thecontext of describing the invention (especially in the context of thefollowing claims) are to be construed to cover both the singular and theplural, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted bycontext. Recitation of ranges of values herein are merely intended toserve as a shorthand method of referring individually to each separatevalue falling within the range, unless otherwise indicated herein, andeach separate value is incorporated into the specification as if it wereindividually recited herein. All methods described herein can beperformed in any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein orotherwise clearly contradicted by context. The use of any and allexamples, or exemplary language (e.g., “such as”) provided herein, isintended merely to better illuminate the invention and does not pose alimitation on the scope of the invention unless otherwise claimed. Nolanguage in the specification should be construed as indicating anynon-claimed element as essential to the practice of the invention.

Preferred embodiments of this invention are described herein, includingthe best mode known to the inventors for carrying out the invention. Ofcourse, variations of those preferred embodiments would become apparentto those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the foregoingdescription. The inventors expect skilled artisans to employ suchvariations as appropriate, and the inventors intend for the invention tobe practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein.Accordingly, this invention includes all modifications and equivalentsof the subject matter recited in the claims appended hereto as permittedby applicable law. Moreover, any combination of the above-describedelements in all possible variations thereof is encompassed by theinvention unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearlycontradicted by context.

1. A lap desk comprising: a planar desk element having a first surfaceand an opposing second surface; and a stuffed toy cushion made inimitation of a real or fanciful animal or figure, the stuffed toycushion is attached to the desk element adjacent the second surface, thestuffed toy cushion includes a body portion and an appendage, theappendage relates to the animal or figure.
 2. The lap desk of claim 1,wherein the appendage is selected from the group consisting of aflipper, a foot, a leg, a head or a tail.
 3. The lap desk of claim 2,wherein the appendage extends partially beyond the periphery of the deskelement.
 4. The lap desk of claim 1, wherein the desk element has agenerally rounded rectangular shape.
 5. The lap desk of claim 4, whereinthe body portion having a generally rectangular shape corresponding tothe rectangular shape of the desk member.
 6. The lap desk of claim 1,wherein the stuffed toy cushion includes stuffing material contained inan outer covering.
 7. The lap desk of claim 6, wherein the stuffingmaterial is resilient.
 8. The lap desk of claim 7, wherein the resilientstuffing material includes a plurality of foam beads.
 9. The lap desk ofclaim 7, wherein the resilient stuffing material includes a plurality offoam blocks.
 10. The lap desk of claim 6, wherein the stuffed toycushion includes an inner cavity, the inner cavity accessible through anopening disposed through the covering, the inner cavity is separatedfrom the stuffing material by a liner.
 11. The lap desk of claim 10,wherein the opening is closable with a zipper.
 12. The lap desk of claim11, wherein the opening is closable with a hook-and-loop type fastener.13. The lap desk of claim 1, wherein the desk element has a lip raisedabove the first surface and extending about the periphery thereof. 14.The lap desk of claim 1, wherein the desk element includes one or moreraised ridges extending from the first surface for dividing the firstsurface into a plurality of separated portions.
 15. The lap desk ofclaim 1, wherein the desk element includes a recess disposed into thefirst surface for receiving a beverage container.
 16. The lap desk ofclaim 1, wherein the desk element is made of molded plastic.
 17. The lapdesk of claim 1, wherein the toy cushion is releasably attached to thedesk element.
 18. The lap desk of claim 17, wherein the desk element hasa periphery and includes a plurality of catches formed into theperiphery, and the stuffed toy cushion includes a correspondingplurality of cord loops for releasably attaching the stuffed toy cushionto the desk element.
 19. The lap desk of claim 18, wherein the deskelement includes a lip raised above the first surface and extendingabout the periphery, and wherein the plurality of catches are formed bydisposing U-shaped grooves into the lip.
 20. The lap desk of claim 17,wherein the stuffed toy cushion is releasably attached to the deskelement by hook-and-loop fastener strips.
 21. The lap desk of claim 20,wherein the desk element has a periphery and includes a plurality ofhook fastener strips adhered thereto about the periphery, and thestuffed toy cushion includes a loop fastener strip for releasablyattaching the stuffed toy cushion to the desk element.
 22. The lap deskof claim 17, wherein the stuffed toy cushion is releasably attached tothe desk element by snaps.
 23. The lap desk of claim 22, wherein thedesk element has a periphery and includes a plurality of snap fastenermale elements secured about the periphery, and the stuffed toy cushionincludes a snap fastener female element for releasably attaching thestuffed toy cushion to the lap desk.
 24. The lap desk of claim 1,wherein the desk element includes a wheel and a handle, the wheel beingrotatable with respect to the desk element.
 25. The lap desk of claim 1,wherein the desk includes indicia on the first surface that provides agame board.
 26. The lap desk of claim 25, further comprising a pluralityof game pieces magnetically attracted to the desk element.
 27. A stuffedtoy made in imitation of a real or fanciful animal or figure, thestuffed toy comprising: a body portion including a soft, flexible outercover and stuffing material contained in the outer cover; an appendageattached to the body portion which relates to the animal or figure; anda rigid desk element attached to the body portion for providing asurface for writing or otherwise playing upon.
 28. The stuffed toy ofclaim 27, wherein the appendage is selected from thie group consistingof a flipper, a foot, a leg, a head or a tail.
 29. The stuffed toy ofclaim 27, further comprising a plurality of appendages attached to thebody portion.
 30. The stuffed toy of claim 27, wherein the body portionincludes an inner cavity, the inner cavity accessible through an openingdisposed through the outer cover, the inner cavity is separated from thestuffing material by a liner.
 31. The stuffed toy of claim 30, whereinthe opening is closable by a zipper.
 32. The lap desk of claim 1,wherein the stuffed toy cushion has the shape of a turtle.
 33. A lapdesk comprising: a planar desk element having a first surface and anopposing second surface; and a stuffed toy cushion made in imitation ofa real or fanciful animal or figure, the stuffed toy cushion is attachedto the desk element adjacent the second surface, the stuffed toy cushionincludes stuffing material contained in an outer covering, the stuffedtoy cushion includes an inner cavity, the inner cavity accessiblethrough an opening disposed through the outer covering, the inner cavityis separated from the stuffing material by a liner,
 34. A lap deskcomprising: a planar desk element having a first surface and an opposingsecond surface; and a stuffed toy cushion made in imitation of a real orfanciful animal, the stuffed toy cushion is attached to the desk elementadjacent the second surface,